Indicating means.



L. J. VANDERMYDE.

INDICATING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I4. 1918.

1,293,991 Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

MIMI a 2 22 -z/ /g INVENTOR 05115 Jy'iidi'fljdt WIT N ESSES BY awATTOFIN EY TE STATES tools a. VMIDERMYDE,

0F MORRISON, ILLINOIS.

. ENDIGATING MEANS.

Application filed January 1 To aZZ wiwm may cance /w:

Be it known that l, Lows J. VANDERMZDE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Morrison, in the county of Whitesicle and adapted for use inconnection With gasoiene tanks automobiles f indicating the amount offuel contained Within the tani: at any given time. A fur her object isto pro- Yiile apparatus connection n inclicstor or gage which may Le sojoosi lonecl es be easily Visible hv the driver A F '1" i tomobile. Astill Iurther oh] is to eclevlce in which electrical u con-- i lee. ageor IlCllCtttOl yes. 0111s i J- T being connecteo a souice sup a ectricalenergy and the current supplied 1e indicator he n varied in aocoi lancei (1 Within e tanlz f usual cont truction he one provided having theclosure 3 1 thereon, A; c ical in the an 5 ends bottom thereof thiscasing "being provided its lower end With onei'in s 5 which communicatebetween the 25 p 4L1 L 4K i p interior hese-sing and we tame. A mangeclosure is secured in the upper Specification of Letters Eatent .1 1! 17 A19 igl e Patented Fella Serial No. 211,234. i

of easing i and is provided with a central bore 7 which slidablyreceives a rod 8 which is preferably made of thin sheet metal and ishollow So as to he comparatively light. i l hopper float S is secured-tothe lOWQl encl of this real and is provided with e radially projectingfinger 10 which engages into a helical guide groove ll formed in theinner face i casing will be noted more particula from Fig, 2 rod 8 is ofrectangular ClObr; ectioni fits loosely eye 12 formed at the inner endarm 13 which oroje ifhis arm carries n of a cts radially from 7electrical resistin isnosec concentric t position b the tank the brushl. ecent'encl of resistance i i is connected ve side of on ole 0" ofthis coil is pole ole I?! L til-3 tfiiilfi terposeci 1:

ance the tan ens, one to th Tia ". as to move the resistance strip tanceof l coil. this p0 itio cheating point 26 of the needle 'ohetl adjacentthe end 1' cl-esigne he areuate gracluatetl scale 27 p0 eizeath theneedle one.

concentric with the pivotal axis thereof. This scale is graduated toindlcate gallons,

or any other suitable unit of measurement. 7.

tion will act accordingly, In applying the I apparatus, the adjustableresistance 22 is set so that, when the brush 14 is at the end 15 ofresistance strip 15 so as to permit the full current of battery 17toflow through coil 19, the point 26 of needle 27 will be positioned atend '10 of the scale. The scale isgraduated to indicate the number ofgallons of fuel within the tank, it being assumed that the tankillustrated contains ten gallons when filled to such a level as to raisethe float 9 intoits highest position, the space between the ends of thescale being marked to indicate two, four,six, etc., gallons. Of

course, if desired, the spaces between these main graduation marks maybesub-divided to indicate quarts, pints, etc. The instrumentabove-described operates onthe same principle as the simplest form of avolt-.

'meter, the deflection of the pointer over the scalev varying inaccordance with the currentflowing through the magnetic coil 19. As theamount of current which flows through this coil is regulated by theresistance strip 15 and the brush 1 1 in wiping engagement therewith,and as this brushis moved over the strip in direct accordance with themovement-of float 9 it will be evident that the instrument will indicateacculately the amount of fuel'within the tank at any given time.Normally, the circuit of battery 17 will be open so that no current willflow through the instrument, the needle 25 being at the 10 mark on thescale. lVhen it is desired to ascertain the amount "of fuel within thetank, the push button switch 24 is depressed so asto close the circuitof the battery, when the instrument will operate in the manner above setforth.

Of course, if desired, lead 23 may be grounded to the frame of theautomobile on which the tank is mounted, the tank being which apreferredalso grounded to this frame instead of being connected directlyto the tank. It will also be evident that there may be slight changesmade in theconstruction and arrangement of the different parts of myinvention without departing from the field and scope of the same, and Iintend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of theappended claims in this application in form onlyv of my invention isdisclosed.

'WhatI claimis:

' 1. 1 In indicating means, a container, a float mounted within thecontainer, said float beprojecting from the top of the container, a

resistance strip disposed concentric with said rod-and electricallyinsulated from the container, a brush in engagement with said strip andmovable over the same,. means for ing provided with a rod securedthereto and causing rotary movement of the float in op- 'positedirections as it rises and falls in accordance with variations in thelevel of liquid within the tank, and connections be- ;tween said rod andbrush for causing movement of the brushover the resistance strip inaccordance with rotary movement of the rod. t p a 2. In indicatingmeans, a container, a

cylindrical casing mounted within the container and communicating withthe interior thereof at its lower end, said casing being provided in itsinner face with .a helical guide grooye, a floatv mountedwithin thecasing and having a guide finger engaging in said groove for causlngrotary movement of the float in opposite directions as it rises andfalls in accordance with variations in the level of liquid within thecontainer, ,a plug of electrical insulating material secured in theupper end of said casing, a rod carried by the floatand-projectingthrough said plug so as to be freely'rotatable therein,-

a resistance strip mounted in-the upper face of said plug in concentricspaced relation with the rod, an arm carriedb said rod,

the rod being freelyslidable t rough the arm, and a brush carried bysaid arm and in wiping engagement with the resistance stri w I ntestimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS J. VANDERMYDE.

Witnesses:

JoHN VAN DER MYDE, H. J. LUDENS.

